Paganism and Egocentric Spirituality

Jordan Paper, an academic who has focused primarily on comparative religion topics over the years, makes the following insider’s observation about Native American and “shamanic” traditions in general, in a fascinating little book called The Deities are Many: A Polytheistic Theology:

Modern Western individualism is not the primary mode of existence in other cultures. To carry out activities for oneself, especially to do so with the aid of spirits, is the only evil perceived in the cultures being discussed . . . . [T]hose understood so to act are considered an extremely dangerous threat to the community and are likely to be killed. These are egalitarian societies in which prestige comes from giving possessions away rather than accumulating them. Hence, anyone perceived as being far better off than others in the community is liable to be suspected of evil sorcery, sometimes called in these communities, “witchcraft.”

If Paper’s observations are correct and we add in any or all the following assumptions, this leads to some interesting philosophical considerations for modern Paganism. I am not advocating the following assumptions, but using them as points of reference:

1. Assumption number one: This “egalitarian” societal structure that Paper is speaking of greatly resembles the Neolithic “pre-warrior culture invasion” societies that Wicca and other modern traditions aspire to emulate or feel a spiritual kinship with. Even if there is no hard and direct documented link to this distant past (see Hutton, Triumph of the Moon), notions of it being an idyllic past where women were more revered and/or war and oppression were almost unheard of still abound in Pagan circles.
2. Assumption number two: These ancient pre-invasion societies would have been sustained by similar notions of all for one and one for all as described by Paper. That is all magical activity was conducted only for the purposes of the group or others in the group. Magic benefitting the individual would be considered evil.
3. Assumption number three: The fact that covens, and even less tightly knit Pagan social groupings, have persistent organizational problems or often blow apart  because of rampant egoism, is a result of the presence of a spirit of “Western individualism.” Thus the saying, “Organizing Pagans is like trying to herd cats.”

While I have at least a dozen different questions and opinions on this subject swirling in my mind, I want to solicit other views instead of advocate and I do not want to burden the initial post with too many questions:

• Are any or all of my three mentioned assumptions reasonable? If not, where do you disagree?
• If the above assumptions are true, what does that say about the fact that most Pagans seem be solitary and very much into sustaining “themselves” through magical and other practices?
• Is individualism actually a fundamental and crucial/positive element of Paganism as it is understood in the West?
• Is Paganism, or should it be, a catalyst of egalitarianism that promotes or insists upon a non egocentric spirituality whereby one is encouraged to focus more on others and the group before considering one’s self?
• Is there a difference between the way professed Wiccans and other Pagans approach this issue?